Commission Proposes 20-Year Devt Plan For North Central

The North Central Development Commission (NCDC) has proposed a 20-year development plan aimed at transforming Benue, Kogi, Kwara, Nasarawa, Niger, Plateau and the Federal Capital Territory into a more productive, connected and resilient region.

The proposal is contained in a communiqué issued at the end of the NCDC Road Map and Stakeholders’ Development Summit held in Abuja.

The summit, with the theme, “The Great Leap Forward: A 20-Year Economic, Infrastructural and Social Development Plan for the North Central Region,” presented the draft North Central 20-Year Development Plan 2027-2046 for stakeholders’ review.

The commission said the plan would focus on addressing fragmented planning, weak inter-state connectivity, insecurity, infrastructure gaps, limited value addition, unreliable data and inconsistent implementation, which it identified as constraints to the region’s development.

The communiqué stated that the region had extensive agricultural land, water, mineral and energy resources, as well as human capital and markets, but had not consistently converted these assets into corresponding productivity, incomes, industrial capacity and improved social outcomes.

It recommended the development of an integrated regional infrastructure programme linking the six states and the Federal Capital Territory through strategic roads, rail, inland waterways and logistics systems.

The summit also called for urgent consideration of high-impact regional corridors, including the Abuja-Lokoja Road, while recommending assessment of the feasibility of regional rail, Baro inland-port logistics, dry-port connections and modern freight systems.

On agriculture, the commission proposed state-specific agricultural and livestock value chains covering inputs, mechanisation, irrigation, storage, processing, packaging, branding, logistics and export.

The communiqué also recommended the creation of a coordinated regional security and peacebuilding framework involving intelligence sharing, community engagement, early warning systems and inter-state coordination.

It further proposed a North Central Climate and Disaster Resilience Programme to map flood, erosion, drought, mining and other environmental hazards and strengthen early-warning and evacuation systems.

On the digital economy, the summit recommended expansion of broadband connectivity across the six states, the FCT, local government areas, wards and underserved rural communities.

It also proposed the establishment of artificial intelligence, digital-skills and teacher-training centres across the region, as well as innovation financing mechanisms and partnerships with technology providers.

The summit recommended that the 20-year plan receive durable legal and institutional backing, with the NCDC establishing a Programme Management Office to coordinate flagship programmes, project preparation, financing, implementation support and performance reporting.

It also called for a public performance framework with verified baselines, measurable targets and regular reporting, with implementation to be reviewed annually and at three-year and five-year intervals.

Speaking at the summit, NCDC Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Dr Cyril Yiltsen Tsenyil, described the gathering as the beginning of an inclusive, evidence-led and implementation-focused development process for the region.

The communiqué was presented by Prof. Mohammed B. Nuhu and adopted by participants at the close of the summit on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, in Abuja.